Optical transceiver module and optical cable module

ABSTRACT

Provided is an optical transceiver module, comprising a housing, a substrate, an optical receiving device and a plurality of optical transmitting devices. The substrate is disposed in the housing. The optical receiving device is disposed on the substrate. The plurality of optical transmitting devices are connected to the substrate, and the optical transmitting devices are arranged in an alternating manner. The optical transceiver module effectively utilizes the internal space thereof for a compact design and can have a simple structure for manufacturing.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an optical fiber communicationtechnology field, and in particularly, to an optical transceiver moduleand an optical fiber cable module using the same.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In the optical fiber communication technology, it is necessary toconvert electrical signals into optical signals through an opticaltransceiver module (such as a laser device), and then to couple theoptical signals into an optical fiber for transmitting. At present, thedemand for computing devices continues to rise, even as the demand forcomputing devices to achieve higher performance also rises. However,conventional electrical I/O (input/output) signaling is not expected tokeep pace with the demand for performance increases, especially for ahigher performance computing expectations. Currently, I/O signals aresent electrically to and from the processor through the board and out toperipheral devices. Electrical signals must pass through solder joints,cables, and other electrical conductors. Therefore, electrical I/Osignal rates are limited by the electrical characteristics of theelectrical connectors.

The optical fiber transmission system replaces the traditionalcommunication transmission system gradually. The optical fibertransmission system does not have bandwidth limitation, and also hasadvantages of a high-speed transmission, long transmission distance, itsmaterial not interfered by the electromagnetic wave. Therefore, thepresent electronic industrial performs research toward optical fibertransmission which will become the mainstream in the future.

However, in recent years, the optical modules such as opticaltransceiver are required to be further down-sized. Therefore, thestructure of the optical fiber transmission system is required to beoptimized.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide an optical transceivermodule comprising a housing, a substrate, an optical receiving deviceand a plurality of optical transmitting devices. The substrate isdisposed in the housing. The optical receiving device is disposed on thesubstrate. The plurality of optical transmitting devices are connectedto the substrate, and the optical transmitting devices are arranged inan alternating manner.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an optical cablemodule comprising an optical fiber cable, and an optical transceivermodule comprising a housing, a substrate, at least one optical receivingdevice and a plurality of optical transmitting devices. The substrate isdisposed in the housing. The optical receiving device is disposed on thesubstrate. The plurality of optical transmitting devices connected tothe substrate, and the optical transmitting devices are arranged in analternating manner.

The present invention provides an optical transceiver module effectivelyutilizing the internal space thereof for a compact design. Moreover, theoptical transceiver module of the invention can have a simple structurefor manufacturing.

The structure and the technical means adopted by the present inventionto achieve the above-mentioned and other objects can be best understoodby referring to the following detailed description of the preferredembodiments and the accompanying drawings:

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a system using the optical cablemodule according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 2 to 4 are schematic diagrams showing the optical transceivermodule according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 5A to 9 are schematic diagrams showing the substrate in differentembodiments of the present invention.

FIGS. 10 to 11 are schematic diagrams showing to the substrate and theoptical transmitting devices in different embodiments of the presentinvention.

FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram showing the optical transmitting devicesaccording to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing the optical transmitting devicesaccording to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram showing the optical transceiver moduleaccording to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14A and FIG. 14B are schematic diagrams showing the opticaltransmitting holder in one embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 15 to 17 are schematic diagrams showing the substrate in differentembodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 18 is a schematic diagram showing the optical receiving device andthe substrate according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 19A and FIG. 19B are schematic diagrams showing the opticalreceiving holder according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 20 is a schematic diagram showing the optical receiving device andthe substrate according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 21 to 27 are schematic diagrams showing the optical transceivermodule in different embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 28 is a schematic diagram showing the transmitting devicesaccording to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 29 is a schematic diagram showing the transmitting devicesaccording to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 30A and FIG. 30B are schematic diagrams showing an opticalreceiving chip according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 31A is a schematic diagram showing the receiving devices and anoptical receiving holder according to one embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 31B is a schematic diagram showing the optical receiving holderaccording to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 32A to 39 are schematic diagrams showing the transmitting devicesin different embodiments of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The following embodiments are referring to the accompanying drawings forexemplifying specific implementable embodiments of the presentinvention. Furthermore, directional terms described by the presentinvention, such as upper, lower, front, back, left, right, inner, outer,side, etc., are only directions by referring to the accompanyingdrawings, and thus the used directional terms are used to describe andunderstand the present invention, but the present invention is notlimited thereto.

The drawings and description are to be regarded as illustrative innature and not restrictive. Like reference numerals designate likeelements throughout the specification. In addition, the size andthickness of each component shown in the drawings allow ease ofunderstanding and ease of description, but the present invention is notlimited thereto.

In the drawings, the thickness of layers, films, panels, regions, etc.,are exaggerated for clarity. In the drawings, for understanding and easeof description, the thicknesses of some layers and areas areexaggerated. It should be understood that, when an element such as alayer, film, region, or substrate is referred to as being “on” anotherelement, it can be directly on the other element or intervening elementscan also be present.

In addition, in the specification, unless explicitly described to thecontrary, the word “comprise” and variations such as “comprises” or“comprising” will be understood to imply the inclusion of statedelements but not the exclusion of any other elements. Furthermore, inthe specification, “on” implies being positioned above or below a targetelement and does not imply being necessarily positioned on the top withrespect to the direction of gravitational pull.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a system using the optical cablemodule 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Theoptical cable module 100 comprises at least one optical transceivermodule 110, at least one optical cable 130, and at least one electronicdevice 101. The electronic device 101 can be any number of computingdevices, including, but not limited to, a desktop or laptop computer, anotebook, a tablet, a net book, an ultra book, or other such computingdevices. Besides computing devices, it should be understood that manyother types of electronic devices can incorporate one or more of thetypes of the optical transceiver module 110 and/or mating port 102herein, and the embodiments described herein would apply equally well insuch electronic devices. Examples of other such electronic devices caninclude handheld devices, smart-phones, media devices, ultra-mobilepersonal computers, personal digital assistants (PDA), mobile phones,multimedia devices, memory devices, cameras, voice recorders, I/Odevices, servers, set-top boxes, printers, scanners, monitors,televisions, electronic billboards, projectors, entertainment controlunits, portable music players, digital video recorders, networkingdevices, gaming devices, gaming consoles, or any other electronic devicethat might include such the optical transceiver module 110 and/or matingport 102. In some embodiments, the electronic device 101 can be anyother electronic device processing data or images.

Referring to FIG. 1 again, the optical cable 130 is connected to theoptical transceiver module 110 for transmitting optical signals. Theoptical cable 130 can include at least one optical fiber, and theoptical signals are transmitted within the optical fiber.

Referring to FIG. 1 again, the electronic device 101 can comprise aprocessor 103, and the processor 103 can be any processing componentthat processes electrical and/or optical I/O signals. It should beunderstood that a single processing device could be used, or multipleseparate devices can be used. The processor 103 can include or be amicroprocessor, programmable logic device or array, microcontroller,signal processor, or any combination thereof. Furthermore, the processor103 can include any type of processing unit, such as, for example, CPU,multi-processing unit, a reduced instruction set computer (RISC), aprocessor that has a pipeline, a complex instruction set computer(CISC), digital signal processor (DSP), and the like.

Referring to FIG. 1 again, the mating port 102 of the electronic device101 is configured to interface with the optical transceiver module 110of the optical cable module 100. The optical transceiver module 110 isconfigured to allow a peripheral device 105 to interconnect with theelectronic device 101. The optical transceiver module 110 can supportcommunication via an optical interface. In varied embodiments, theoptical transceiver module 110 can also support communication via anelectrical interface.

Referring to FIG. 1 again, the peripheral device 105 can be a peripheralI/O device. In varied embodiments, the peripheral device 105 can be oneor more than one computing devices, including, but not limited to, adesktop or laptop computer, a notebook, an Ultra book, a tablet, a netbook, or other such computing devices. Besides computing devices, itshould be understood that the peripheral device 105 can include handhelddevices, smart phones, media devices, personal digital assistants (PDA),ultra-mobile personal computers, mobile phones, multimedia devices,memory devices, cameras, voice recorders, I/O devices, servers, set-topboxes, printers, scanners, monitors, televisions, electronic billboards,projectors, entertainment control units, portable music players, digitalvideo recorders, networking devices, gaming devices, gaming consoles, orany other electronic device.

Referring to FIG. 1 again, in one embodiment, the electronic device 101can include an internal optical path, and the optical path can representone or more components, which can include processing and/or terminationcomponents that convey an optical signal between processor 103 and port102. Conveying a signal can include the generation and converting tooptical, or the receiving and converting to electrical, as described inmore detail below. In an embodiment where electrical interfacing fromport 102 is supported in device 101, device 101 can also include anelectrical path, and the electrical path represents one or morecomponents that convey an electrical signal between processor 103 andport 102.

Referring to FIG. 1 again, the optical transceiver module 110 of thepresent invention is configured to mate with the mating port 102 of theelectronic device 101. As used herein, mating one connector with anothercan refer to providing a mechanical connection. The mating of oneconnector with another typically also provides a communicationconnection. The mating port 102 can include a housing 104, which canprovide the mechanical connecting mechanisms. The mating port 102 canalso include one or more optical interface components. A path 106 canrepresent one or more components, which can include processing and/ortermination components that convey an optical signal (or an opticalsignal and an electrical signal) between the processor 103 and the port102. Conveying a signal can include the generation and conversion tooptical, or the receiving and conversion to electrical.

Referring to FIG. 1 again, the optical transceiver module 110 of thepresent invention can be referred to as an active optical connector oractive optical receptacle and active optical plug. In general, suchactive optical connectors can be configured to provide the physicalconnecting interface to a mating connector and an optical assembly. Theoptical transceiver module 110 can be a light engine configured togenerate and/or process the optical signals. The optical transceivermodule 110 can provide conversion from an electrical-to-optical signalor from an optical-to-electrical signal.

In some embodiments, the optical transceiver module 110 can beconfigured to process the optical signals consistent with or inaccordance with one or more communication protocols. For embodiments inwhich the optical transceiver module 110 is configured to convey anoptical signal and an electrical signal, it is not strictly necessaryfor the optical and electrical interfaces to operate according to thesame protocol, but they can. Whether the optical transceiver module 110processes signals are in accordance with the protocol of the electricalI/O interface, or in accordance with a different protocol or standard,the optical transceiver module 110 can be configured or programmed foran intended protocol within a particular connector, and different lightengines can be configured for different protocols.

FIGS. 2 to 4 are schematic diagrams showing the optical transceivermodule according to embodiments of the present invention. The opticaltransceiver module 110 can comprise a substrate 111, a processor 112, aplurality of optical transmitting devices 113, at least one opticalreceiving device 114, a coupler 115, a housing 116, a connecting board117 and an optical transmitting holder 118. The substrate 111 has afirst surface 111 a and a second surface 111 b opposite thereto. Thesubstrate 111 may be a printed circuit board (PCB) or a ceramicsubstrate including mechanisms, such as pins or connecting balls, forinterfacing the system to an external device. The processor 112 isconnected to the substrate 111, and the processor 112 is intended toshow any type of processor, and not limited to any particular processortype. The optical transmitting devices 113 and the at least one opticalreceiving device 114 are electrically connected to the processor 112 onthe substrate 111, such as through traces processed into the packagesubstrate 111, for transmitting and receiving optical signals. Theoptical transmitting devices 113 and the at least one optical receivingdevice 114 can comprise a receiving circuit for transferring anelectrical signal, and more specifically process the timing or otherprotocol aspects of electrical signals corresponding to an opticalsignal. The housing 116 can have an internal space for accommodating thesubstrate 111, the processor 112, the optical transmitting device 113,the optical receiving device 114, the connector 115, the connectingboard 117 and the optical transmitting holder 118. The connecting board117 is connected between the substrate 111 and the optical transmittingdevices 113, and the optical transmitting holder 118 can be used toposition and arrange the optical transmitting devices 113, so as toensure the characteristic loss and reliability of the engagement betweenfiber channels and the optical transceiver assembly.

Referring to FIGS. 4 to 9, the substrate 111 is disposed in the housing116, and the substrate 111 can comprise at least one convex portion 111c and at least one recess portion 111 d. The at least one convex portion111 c protrudes to the substrate 111, and the at least one recessportion 111 d is formed and positioned to at least one side of theconvex portion 111 c. The optical transmitting devices 113 are allowedto be arranged in the at least one recess portion 111 d. That is, theoptical transmitting devices 113 can be positioned to at least one sideof the convex portion 111 c. It is worth noting that the circuits or atleast one IC chip can be disposed on a surface of the at least oneconvex portion 111 c of the substrate 111, so as to increase the settingarea for the circuits.

In varied embodiments of the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 5 to7, the substrate 111 can have one convex shape or more than one convexshapes, and the plurality of recess portions 111 d can be disposed atthe two opposite sides of the convex portion 111 c, respectively. Inthis case, as shown in FIG. 7, the plurality of recess portion 111 d canalso have different lengths or different depths. In this way, theoptical transmitting devices 113 of different sizes can be accommodatedaccording to the requirements. Furthermore, with the use of the convexshape of the substrate 111, the different circuits (such as a flexiblecircuit board connected to the optical transmitting devices 113) can beisolated from each other, so as to avoid the interference or crosstalkbetween each other due to the spatial overlapping.

In varied embodiments of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 8, thesubstrate 111 can have at least one L-shaped shape, the at least onerecess portion 111 d is positioned to at least one side of the convexportion 111 c. As shown in FIG. 9, the substrate 111 can have at leastone stepped shape and the recess portions 111 d can be disposed to atleast one side of the convex portion 111 c.

In addition, in some embodiments of the present invention, differentcircuits can be disposed on the first surface 111 a and the secondsurface 111 b of the substrate 111, respectively, so as to arrange moredifferent circuits, chips, or components. For example, the opticalreceiving module 114 can be arranged on the first surface 111 a of thesubstrate 111, and the processor 112 and the IC chip (e.g., but notlimited to the LDD, PA, CDR, DSP chip, etc.) can be arranged on thesecond surface 111 b of the substrate 111. In this way, the arrangementspace of the circuits or chip can be increased and the size of thesubstrate 111 can be reduced accordingly. In another embodiment, the atleast one optical receiving device 114 can be mounted on the secondsurface 111 b of the substrate 111 with a chip-on-board manner.

In some embodiments, the optical transceiver module 110 may be appliedto a parallel-single-mode-4-lane (PSM4) technology, wherein theplurality of optical transmitting devices 113 can introduce light ofdifferent wavelengths to one single-mode optical fiber for middledistance and long distance transmission in the single-mode opticalfiber, and the optical receiving device 114 can receive the opticalsignal, and the received optical signal is performed to a light-splitprocess by the de-multiplexer, and the split optical signals areintroduced to different channels. In varied embodiments, in addition tothe PSM4 technology, the optical transceiver 110 also can be applied toany related optical communication technologies, such aswavelength-division multiplexing (WDM), binary phase shift keyingmodulation (BPSK), quadrature phase shift keying modulation (QPSK),conventional/coarse wavelength division multiplexing (CWDM), densewavelength division multiplexing (DWDM), optical add/drop multiplexer(OADM), and reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexer (ROADM), LR4 orother communication technologies.

Referring to FIG. 4 the at least one optical transmitting device 113 canbe connected to the substrate 111 through the at least one connectingboard 117 and the plurality of optical transmitting devices 113 can bearranged in the alternating manner. In this case, there is an anglebetween light outputting directions (i.e. the emission directions of thelight signals) of the plurality of optical transmitting devices 113. Theangle may be in a range of 90 degrees to 180 degrees, such as 150degrees ˜180 degrees. In some embodiments, the angle may be about 180degrees. That is, the plurality of optical transmitting devices 113 canbe arranged interlaced back and forth in the alternating manner. Whenthe plurality of optical transmitting devices 113 are arranged in thealternating manner, the light output directions of the plurality ofoptical transmitting devices 113 can be approximately opposite to eachother or different to each other. That is, the angle between the lightoutputting directions of the plurality of optical transmitting devices113 may be about 180 degrees.

Referring to FIG. 4 again, each of the optical transmitting devices 113can comprise an optical transmitter 113 a, a hermetic housing 113 b anda cylindrical element 113 c, and the optical transmitter 113 a iscompletely sealed and packaged in one or more than one hermetic housing113 b. That is, the optical transmitter 113 a sealed in the opticaltransmitting devices 113 will not be exposed to the outside environmentor air, thereby preventing the optical transmitter 113 a fromdegradation, as well as enhancing a performance and the life time of theoptical transmitter 113 a. In embodiments of the present invention, anair tightness of the hermetic transmitting devices 113 at leastsatisfies the requirement of the air tightness of an industrialtransmitter optical sub-assembly (TOSA). In varied embodiments, the airtightness of each of the optical transmitting devices 113 can be in therange of 1×10⁻¹² to 5*0⁻⁷ (atm*cc/sec). In some embodiments, morespecifically, the air tightness of the optical transmitting devices 113can be in the range of 1×10⁻⁸ to 5*10⁻⁸ (atm*cc/sec).

In varied embodiments, a wavelength of at least one optical signaltransmitted from the optical transmitter 113 a of the opticaltransmitting devices 113 is within the range of the near-infrared lightspectrum or the infrared light spectrum. That is, the wavelength of theat least one optical signal transmitted from the optical transmitter 113a is in the range of 830 nm to 1660 nm. The optical transmitter 113 acan be any type of laser chip suitable for producing optical signals,such as an edge-emitting device (such as FP/DFB/EML) or avertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL).

In varied embodiments of the present invention, the optical transmitter113 a can be directly sealed in the hermetic housing 113 b withoutexposed clearance, so as to ensure the tightness of the opticaltransmitting devices 113. In some embodiments, the hermetic housing 113b is, for example, a cylindrical housing. The cylindrical elements 113 care arranged on one side of the hermetic housing 113 b. A coupling lens(not shown), such as a convex lens or a spherical lens, can be disposedin the interior of the cylindrical elements 113 c for coupling lightsignals emitted from the optical transmitter 113 a to an external fiberthrough the cylindrical elements 113 c. Therefore, the light outputtingdirection of the optical transmitting devices 113 is from the opticaltransmitter 113 a in the hermetic housing 113 b towards the cylindricalelements 113 c.

In varied embodiments of the present invention, a diameter or a width ofthe hermetic housing 113 b is greater than a diameter or a width of thecylindrical elements 113 c. Therefore, with the use of the intersectedarrangement, the plurality of optical transmitting devices 113 can bearranged more closely, so as to reduce the configuration space thereof.In this way, more optical transmitting devices can be configured andencapsulated into a small optical transceiver module 110, and theminiaturization of optical transceiver module is available.

Referring to FIG. 10, in varied embodiments of the present invention,the plurality of optical transmitting devices 113 can be positioned onan upper side and a lower side of the substrate 111, respectively, andarranged in the alternating manner. Therefore, the plurality of opticaltransmitting devices 113 can be arranged at two opposite sides of thesubstrate 111 in the alternating manner.

Referring to FIG. 11, in varied embodiments of the present invention,the plurality of optical transmitting devices 113 can be positioned at asame side of the substrate 111 and arranged in the alternating manner.Therefore, the plurality of optical transmitting devices 113 can bearranged at the same side of the substrate 111 in the alternatingmanner.

Referring to FIG. 12, in varied embodiments of the present invention, atleast two (for example three or more) of the plurality of opticaltransmitting devices 113 can be arranged interlaced with each other inthe alternating manner, so as to arrange more optical transmittingdevices 113 in the alternating manner.

In varied embodiments of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 4 andFIG. 10, there is a tilt angle between the optical transmitting devices113 and the substrate 111. That is, there is the tilt angle between thelight outputting directions of the optical transmitting devices 113 andthe substrate 111. The tilt angle between the optical transmittingdevices 113 and the substrate 111 can be less than 90 degrees, such as,30 degrees, 60 degrees, or 45 degrees. Therefore, the opticaltransmitting devices 113 can be arranged obliquely to reduce theconfiguration space of the optical transmitting devices 113. Morespecifically, in some embodiments, the tilt angle of the opticaltransmitting devices 113 can be formed and fixed by the opticaltransmitting holder 118. However, in varied embodiments of the presentinvention, the tilt angle of the optical transmitting devices 113 can beachieved and fixed by different configurations or methods but notlimited to the above description. For example, in some embodiments, thetilt angle of the optical transmitting devices 113 can also be fixed bya fixing adhesive.

In varied embodiments of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 4, theplurality of optical transmitting devices 113 can also be interlaced upand down and arranged obliquely at the same time. In this case, twoopposite sides of each of the optical transmitting devices 113 can havedifferent sizes, and thus the optical transmitting devices 113 can bearranged more closely in the optical transceiver module 110, so as toenhance the miniaturization of the optical transceiver module.

Referring to FIG. 13, in varied embodiments of the present invention,each of the optical transmitting devices 113 can further comprise atleast one temperature control unit 119, and the temperature control unit119 can be arranged in the hermetic housing 113 b. In some embodiments,the temperature control unit 119 can comprise at least one thermistor119 a and at least one thermoelectric cooler 119 b, and the thermistor119 a can be disposed on a base of the optical transmitter 113 a. Thethermoelectric cooler 119 b is, for example, disposed in the hermetichousing 113 b and close to the optical transmitter 113 a, and thethermistor 119 a is electrically connected to the thermoelectric cooler119 b. In this case, a resistance value of the thermistor 119 a isvaried according to a temperature of the optical transmitter 113 a.Therefore, with the use of the thermistor 119 a, the temperature of theoptical transmitter 113 a can be detected. Furthermore, by controlling acurrent flow direction of the thermoelectric cooler 119 b, thetemperature of the optical transmitter 113 a can be cooled down, so asto control the optical transmitter 113 a within a reasonable temperaturerange (such as 40-50 degrees), thereby reducing the wavelength shiftcaused by the temperature change in the optical transmitter 113 a. Inaddition, a thermal loading of the optical transmitting devices 113 canbe significantly reduced, thereby reducing the power consumption of theoptical transmitting devices 113. In this way, for example, a powerconsumption of the single optical transmitting device 113 can be reducedwithin a range of 0.1 W to 0.2 W. For example, the total powerconsumption of four optical transmitting devices 113 can be reducedwithin a range of 0.4 W to 0.8 W. In one embodiment, the thermistor 119a and the thermoelectric cooler 119 b can be fixed on the base of theoptical transmitter 113 a by, for example, a thermal conductiveadhesive.

However, it is not limited thereto, in some embodiments, the pluralityof the optical transmitting devices 113 can be controlled by the singletemperature control unit 119.

Referring to FIG. 3, the coupler 115 can provide a redirection mechanismto exchange light between the optical transceiver module 110 andsomething external to this system (e.g., another device) over opticalfibers (not shown). For example, the coupler 115 can provide aredirection of optical signals via a reflection surface. The angle andgeneral dimensions and shape of the coupler 115 are dependent on thewavelength of optical light rays, as well as the material used to makethe coupler and the overall system requirements. In one embodiment, thecoupler 115 is designed to provide redirection of vertical light fromthe substrate 111 and of horizontal light to the substrate 111.

Various communication protocols or standards can be used for embodimentsdescribed herein. Communication protocols can include, but are notlimited to, mini Display Port, standard Display Port, mini universalserial bus (USB), standard USB, PCI express (PCIE), or high-definitionmultimedia interface (HDMI). It will be understood that each differentstandard can include a different configuration or pin out for theelectrical contact assembly. Additionally, the size, shape andconfiguration of the coupler 115 or connector can be dependent on thestandard, including tolerances for the mating of the correspondingconnectors. Thus, the layout of the coupler or connector to integratethe optical I/O assembly can be different for the various standards. Aswill be understood by those of skill in the art, optical interfacesrequire line-of-sight connections to have an optical signal transmitterinterface with a receiver (both can be referred to as lenses). Thus, theconfiguration of the coupler 115 or connector will be such that thelenses are not obstructed by the corresponding electrical contactassemblies if present. For example, optical interface lenses can bepositioned to the sides of the contact assemblies, or above or below,depending on where space is available within the coupler or connector.

In one embodiment, the coupler 115 may use a Multi-Fiber Push On (MPO)standard, wherein the optical fibers can have multi-channels byone-by-one connecting. In one embodiment, an LR4 standard requirementcan be achieved by using a CWDM/WDM system for multiplexing orde-multiplexing.

Referring to FIG. 3 again, the housing 116 is configured to protect andto assemble the substrate 111, the processor 112, the plurality ofoptical transmitting devices 113, the optical receiving device 114, andthe connecting board 117. In other embodiments, the optical transceivermodule 110 can further comprise a planar light-wave chip (PLC). Theplanar light-wave chip (PLC) can provide a plane for the transfer oflight and its conversion to electrical signals, and vice versa. Itshould be understood that the planar light-wave chip (PLC) can beintegrated into the coupler 115. In one embodiment, the housing 116 cancomprise at least one upper housing 116 a and at least one lower housing116 b, and the upper housing 116 a and the lower housing 116 b can beassembled into one body to form an internal space therein for receivingthe substrate 111, the processor 112, the plurality of opticaltransmitting devices 113, the optical receiving device 114 and theconnecting board 117. In some embodiments, the housing 116 is, forexample, made of a metal material, so as to shield the circuit therein,and to effectively distribute the heat generated from the electroniccircuit.

Referring to FIG. 4 again, the connecting board 117 is connected betweenthe substrate 111 and the optical transmitting devices 113 forconnecting and holding the optical transmitting devices 113, therebyallowing the optical transmitting devices 113 to be electricallyconnected to the substrate 111. That is, with the use of the connectingboard 117, signals can be transmitted between the substrate 111 and theoptical transmitting devices 113. More specifically, the connectingboard 117 may be at least one flexible circuit board or at least oneflexible printed circuit board (FPC) to transmit signals between thesubstrate 111 and the optical transmitting devices 113.

Referring to FIG. 4 again, with the use of the connecting board 117, theoptical transmitting devices 113 can be disposed in the recess portion111 d of the substrate 111. More specifically, the connecting board 117can be disposed in the recess portion 111 d of the substrate 111 andconnected to the substrate 111. The optical transmitting devices 113 canbe disposed and connected to the connecting board 117. Therefore, withthe use of the connecting board 117, the optical transmitting devices113 can be disposed in the recess portion 111 d of the substrate 111 andelectrically connected to the substrate 111.

Referring to FIG. 4 again, the connecting board 117 can comprise atleast one first connecting board 117 a and at least one secondconnecting board 117 b. In some embodiments, one end of the firstconnecting board 117 a can be connected to the first surface 111 a ofthe substrate 111, and one end of the second connecting board 117 b canbe connected to the second surface 111 b of the substrate 111.Therefore, by means of the first connecting board 117 a and the secondconnecting board 117 b, the plurality of optical transmitting devices113 can be electrically connected to the circuits on the opposite sidesof the substrate 111, respectively, so as to form the interlacedconfiguration on the opposite sides of the substrate 111. In this case,the plurality of optical transmitting devices 113 can be disposed andpackaged into the small optical transceiver module 110, therebyachieving the miniaturization of the optical transceiver module 110.

However, in some embodiments, the first connecting board 117 a and thesecond connecting board 117 b can also be connected to the same side(the first surface 111 a or the second surface 111 b) of the substrate111, but not limited thereto.

Referring to FIG. 4 again, the first connecting board 117 a and thesecond connecting board 117 b can have different lengths and differentshapes. To be more specific, in some embodiments, a length of the secondconnecting board 117 b can be greater than a length of the firstconnecting board 117 a. Therefore, through the use of the differentlengths of the first connecting board 117 a and the second connectingboard 117 b, the plurality of optical transmitting devices 113 can bearranged to form an interlaced configuration in the alternating manner.Therefore, the plurality of transmitting devices 113 can be arranged andencapsulated in the smaller optical transceiver module 110, so as toachieve the miniaturization thereof.

Referring to FIG. 4 again, one end of the connecting board 117 can havea bending structure (not marked), and the bending structure is connectedto the optical transmitting devices 113. The bending structure can beformed corresponding to the tilt angle, positions or other arrangementsof the optical transmitting devices 113, for corresponding to thearrangement of the optical transmitting devices 113 s.

Furthermore, when the IC on the substrate 111 of the optical transceivermodule 110 processes data of a high speed, the IC will generate a largeramount of power consumption and a higher heat. At this time, by means ofthe connecting board 117, the substrate 111 can be appropriatelyseparated from the optical transmitting devices 113, so as to avoid theheat transferring from the substrate 111 to the optical transmittingdevices 113, thereby effectively reducing the power consumption of thetemperature control unit 119 and the optical transceiver module 110.

Referring to FIG. 14, In varied embodiments of the present invention,the optical transmitting devices 113 can be fixed and positioned in theoptical transceiver module 110 by at least one optical transmittingholder 118. Specifically, the optical transmitting holder 118 can bedisposed in the housing 116 or on the substrate 111 of the opticaltransceiver module 110 for holding the optical transmitting devices 113.In some embodiments, the optical transmitting holder 118 can beintegrally positioned to the housing 116 as one piece. In someembodiments, the at least one optical transmitting holder 118 cancomprise a first holder 118 a and a second holder 118 b for fixing andholding the plurality of optical transmitting devices 113, so as toarrange the optical transmitting devices 113 in the alternating manner.As shown in FIG. 3 again, the first optical transmitting holder 118 acan be disposed, for example, on an upper housing 116 a, and the secondoptical transmitting holder 118 b can be disposed, for example, on alower housing 116 b. In addition, the optical transmitting holder 118can comprise at least one holding recess 118 c, and the shape of theholding recess 118 c is corresponding to the shape of the opticaltransmitting devices 113 for receiving and engaging the opticaltransmitting devices 113, (for example, the shape of the hermetichousing 113 or the cylindrical element 113 c) so as to hold the opticaltransmitting devices 113. Furthermore, the shape of the holding recess118 c can also be formed corresponding to the tilt angle of the opticaltransmitting devices 113, so as to hold the optical transmitting devices113 at the tilt angle.

Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 14A and 14B, the holding recess 118 c ofthe optical transmitting holder 118 (for example, the first opticaltransmitting holder 118 a and the optical transmitting second holder 118b) can have an tilt angle, and the tilt angle of the holding recess 118c can be generally the same as the tilt angle of the opticaltransmitting devices 113, so as to secure and hold the opticaltransmitting devices 113 at the tilt angle.

Referring to FIG. 15, in some embodiments, the recess portion 111 d ofthe substrate 111 may be a hollow hole positioned on the substrate 111.Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 16 and 17, through the use of theplurality of recess portions 111 d, an I-shaped or F-shaped structurecan be formed on the substrate 111. Therefore, the plurality of opticaltransmitting devices 113 can be accommodated on the substrate 111through the use of the plurality of recess portion 111 d on thesubstrate 111.

In varied embodiments, the size of each of the plurality of opticaltransmitting devices 113 and the substrate 111 can satisfy a designrequirement of QSFP-DD, OSFP, QSFP56, QSFP28, QSFP+, or Micro QSFP+. Forexample, in one embodiment, the width of the substrate 111 can be in therange of 11 mm to 18 mm. For example, in one embodiment, the length ofthe substrate 111 can be in the range of 58 mm to 73 mm. 20 mm to 73 mm.In this manner, the size of each of the plurality of opticaltransmitting devices 113 can satisfy the requirement of QSFP-DD, OSFP,QSFP56, QSFP28, QSFP+, or Micro QSFP+. Therefore, by arranging theoptical transmitting devices 113 and the at least one substrate 111, theplurality of optical transmitting devices 113 can be assembled packagedwithin the small optical transceiver module 110 for a compact design.

In varied embodiments of the present invention, more than one of opticalreceiving devices 114 can also be arranged interlaced with each other inthe alternating manner, and a tilt angle is formed between lightreceiving directions of the plurality of optical receiving devices 114,and the tilt angle can be in a range of 90 degrees and 180 degrees.

In varied embodiments of the present invention, there can be a tiltangle between at least one optical receiving device 114 and thesubstrate 111, and the tilt angle between the receiving device 114 andthe substrate 111 can be less than 90 degrees, for example, in the rangeof 0 to 90 degrees, such as 1 degree, 5 degrees, 30 degrees, 60 degreesor 45 degrees.

As shown in FIG. 18, in some embodiments, the optical receiving device114 can be, for example, a cylindrical or tubular optical receivingdevice 114 a, and can be, for example, a Transistor-Outline (TO)cylindrical optical receiving device. The air tightness of thecylindrical optical receiving devices 114 a at least satisfies therequirement of the air tightness of an industrial transmitter opticalsub-assembly (TOSA). In varied embodiments, the air tightness of each ofthe cylindrical optical receiving devices 114 a can be in the range of1×10⁻¹² to 5*10⁻⁷ (atm*cc/sec). In some embodiments, more specifically,the air tightness of the cylindrical optical receiving devices 114 a canbe in the range of 1×10⁻⁸ to 5*10⁻⁸ (atm*cc/sec).

As shown in FIG. 18, the plurality of cylindrical optical receivingdevices 114 a can be assembled by an optical receiving holder 120. Theoptical receiving holder 120 is used for assembling and holding theplurality of cylindrical optical receiving devices 114 a. In this case,the plurality of cylindrical optical receiving devices 114 a can befixed by the optical receiving holder 120. The plurality of cylindricaloptical receiving devices 114 a can be connected to the circuits on thesubstrate 111 through connecting boards 121. The connecting boards 121may be flexible circuit boards or flexible printed circuit board (FPC)for transmitting signals between the substrate 111 and the cylindricaloptical receiving devices 114 a. Specifically, in an embodiment, asshown in FIG. 18 again, the plurality of cylindrical optical receivingdevices 114 a can be connected to the first connecting pad 122 a and thesecond connecting pad 122 b on the substrate 111 through the connectingboards 121, respectively. The first connecting pad 122 a and the secondconnecting pad 122 b can be formed on the substrate 111 and electricallyconnected to the circuits (not shown) on the substrate 111.

As shown in FIG. 19A and FIG. 19B, more specifically, the opticalreceiving holder 120 can include a plurality of holding holes 120 a, anda number of the holding holes 120 a is corresponding to a number of theplurality of cylindrical optical receiving devices 114 a for allowingthe cylindrical optical receiving devices 114 a to be inserted throughthe holding holes 120 a. Therefore, the plurality of cylindrical opticalreceiving devices 114 a can be fixed in the optical receiving holder120. In some embodiments, the inner aperture or size of each of theholding holes 120 a can be larger than the outer size of the cylindricaloptical receiving devices 114 a, and hold the cylindrical opticalreceiving devices 114 a through the use of adhesive. Furthermore, insome embodiments, the inner aperture or size of each of the holdingholes 120 a can be corresponding to the outer size of the cylindricaloptical receiving devices 114 a, so as to snugly assemble thecylindrical optical receiving devices 114 a into the optical receivingholder 120. Specifically, for example, the cylindrical optical receivingdevices 114 a can have a first width and a second width of differentdimensions (as shown in FIG. 19), and the holding hole 120 a can alsohave a first inner diameter and a second inner diameter of differentdimensions for corresponding to the first width and the second width ofthe cylindrical optical receiving devices 114 a.

As shown in FIG. 20, in an embodiment, the optical receiving holder 120can be mounted on the substrate 111 for securing the plurality ofcylindrical optical receiving devices 114 a on the substrate 111.However, it is not limited thereto, and in some embodiments, the opticalreceiving holder 120 may not be mounted on the substrate 111 (as shownin FIG. 18).

It should be noted that, in varied embodiments of the present invention,the optical transmitting devices 113 and the optical receiving devices114 can have different arrangements, combinations, and/orconfigurations. For example, in some embodiments, the opticaltransmitting devices 113 and the optical receiving devices 114 can bedisposed in the same side of the substrate 111. However, it is notlimited thereto, in some embodiments, the optical transmitting devices113 and the optical receiving devices 114 can also be disposed atdifferent sides of the substrate 111, respectively.

In some embodiments, one or more than one optical receiving devices 114can be disposed in the substrate 111, and one or more than one opticaltransmitting devices 113 can be disposed obliquely at one side of thesubstrate 111 (as shown in FIG. 21), or disposed on the substrate 111(as shown in FIG. 22).

In addition, in some embodiments, one or more than one opticaltransmitting devices 113 can be disposed on the substrate 111, and oneor more than one optical receiving devices 114 can be disposed obliquelyat one side of the substrate 111 (as shown in FIG. 23), or be disposedon the substrate 111 (as shown in FIG. 24).

However, in some embodiments, the optical transmitting devices 113 andthe optical receiving devices 114 can be disposed obliquely at one side(not shown) of the substrate 111, or be disposed on the substrate 111(as shown in FIG. 25).

It should be noted that, when at least one of the optical receivingdevices 114 is disposed at one side of the substrate 111 (for example,as shown in FIG. 18), the optical transmitting devices 113 can bedisposed on the substrate 111 in parallel or obliquely (as shown in FIG.26 and FIG. 27).

Referring to FIG. 28, in varied embodiments of the present invention,each of the optical transmitting devices 113 can further include atleast one damping unit 113 d, sub-mount bases 113 e, 113 f, and at leastone base 113 g. The optical transmitter 113 a and the sub-mount bases113 e, 113 f can be disposed in the hermetic housing 113 b, and theoptical transmitter 113 a can be disposed on the base 113 e, and thedamping unit 113 d can be disposed between the hermetic housing 113 band the sub-mount bases 113 e, 113 f, and the sub-mount bases 113 e, 113f are disposed on the base 113 g.

As shown in FIG. 28, the hermetic housing 113 b and the base 113 g canform a hermetic space for accommodating the optical transmitter 113 aand the sub-mount bases 113 e, 113 f. The sub-mount bases 113 e and 113f can be extended from the base 113 g to support the circuit boards 113h and 113 i inside the optical transmitting devices 113. The sub-mountbases 113 e, 113 f can include a first base 113 e and a second base 113f, and the second base 113 f can be disposed in one side of the firstbase 113 e adjacent to the hermetic housing 113 b. The first base 113 eis used for supporting the first circuit board 113 h, and the opticaltransmitter 113 a is electrically connected to the first circuit board113 h. The second base 113 f is used for supporting the second circuitboard 113 i, and the second circuit board 113 i is electricallyconnected to external signal lines (not shown).

The circuit boards 113 h and 113 i can include circuits, and the circuitboards 113 h, 113 i can be made of a material of a great thermalconductivity (for example, ceramic or copper) to improve a heatdissipation efficiency thereof.

In varied embodiments, the sub-mount bases 113 e, 113 f can be formedintegrally on the base 113 g. That is, the sub-mount bases 113 e, 113 fand the base 113 g can have the same material, such as a metal having agreat thermal conductivity. In some embodiments, the sub-mount bases 113e, 113 f may be rectangular bases, but are not limited thereto, and insome embodiments, the sub-mount bases s 113 e, 113 f may be cylindrical,semi-cylindrical, tapered, or other solid shapes.

In varied embodiments, the damping unit 113 d may be disposed betweenthe sub-mount bases 113 e, 113 f and the hermetic housing 113 b forabsorbing electromagnetic energy inside the optical transmitting devices113, thereby reducing a high frequency resonance mode in the opticaltransmitting devices 113, as well as mitigating the resonance phenomenonwhen transmitting the high-frequency signals, so as to reduce the signaldistortion phenomenon and allow higher frequency signals to betransmitted, such as 5 Gbps˜50 Gbps NRZ, 25 Gbps˜100 Gbps PAM4 or otherhigher frequency signals.

In varied embodiments, the damping unit 113 d may be at least one sheet,at least one film, at least one thick film, at least one block, at leastone strip, powders, or at least one arbitrary shape formed of apredetermined damping material for absorbing the electromagnetic energyinside the optical transmitting devices 113, as well as mitigating theresonance phenomenon when transmitting the high-frequency signals. Theresistance of the damping unit 113 d may be in the range of 1 ohm (Ω) to500 ohms, and for example, in the range of 5 ohms (Ω) to 100 ohms.

In some embodiments, the damping unit 113 d can be, for example, aresistance unit formed of one or more materials, so as to mitigate thehigh frequency resonance phenomena in the optical transmitting devices113. The material of the damping unit 113 d may be, for example, a puremetal, a metal alloy, a metal compound, a metal oxide, a metal mixedmaterial (for example, a combination of ceramic and metal), asemiconductor, or other materials.

In some embodiments, the damping unit 113 d can include at least onethin film layer and at least one metal layer (not shown), and the thinfilm layer may be formed, for example, of an insulating material (suchas ceramic) or a composite material, and the metal layer can bepositioned to two sides of the thin film layer, and the metal layer isformed, for example, of titanium, platinum, gold, other metals, or anyalloy.

In some embodiments, the thickness of the damping unit 113 d can be lessthan 1 mm, such as in the range of 0.01 mm to 0.4 mm.

In some embodiments, the damping unit 113 d can be, for example, formedon a side surface of the sub-mount bases 113 e, 113 f closest to thehermetic housing 113 b. For example, in an embodiment, the damping unit113 d can be formed on a side surface of the second sub-mount base 113 fand closest to the hermetic housing 113 b for mitigating the highfrequency resonance phenomenon in the optical transmitting devices 113.However, it is not limited thereto, the damping unit 113 d can be formedat other positions of the sub-mount bases 113 e, 113 f for mitigatingthe high frequency resonance phenomenon in the optical transmittingdevices 113. For example, in another embodiment, the damping unit 113 dcan also be formed on a side surface of the first sub-mount base 113 eand located between the base 113 e and the hermetic housing 113 b, so asto mitigate the high frequency resonance phenomenon in the opticaltransmitting devices 113.

Referring to FIG. 28, In varied embodiments of the present invention,each of the optical transmitting devices 113 can further include aplurality of connecting wires 113 j. The connecting wires 113 j can beformed of a conductive material and connected between the space betweenthe first sub-mount base 113 e and the second sub-mount base 113 f forabsorbing the electromagnetic energy inside the optical transmittingdevices 113, as well as mitigating the high frequency resonancephenomenon in the optical transmitting devices 113.

Referring to FIG. 29 again, in varied embodiments of the presentinvention, each of the optical transmitting devices 113 can furtherinclude at least one optical lens 113L and at least one optical window113 w. The optical lens 113L can be disposed inside the hermetic housing113 b and the optical lens 113L is positioned to the optical transmitter113 a for optically improving the optical signal emitted from theoptical transmitter 113 a, such as focusing, collimating, diverging, andthe like. In some embodiments, the optical lens 113L can be disposed onthe sub-mount base 113 e and positioned to the optical transmitter 113a. However, it is not limited thereto, in varied embodiments of thepresent invention, the optical lens 113L and the optical transmitter 113a can also be disposed in the same circuit board.

As shown in FIG. 29, the optical window 113 w can be disposed on thehermetic housing 113 b, for example, at a front end of the hermetichousing 113 b and positioned to the optical lens 113L, so as to allowthe improved optical signals from the optical lens 113L to be emittedoutside the hermetic housing 113 b through the optical window 113 w. Insome embodiments, the optical window 113 w can be a planar translucentplate, so as to allow the improved optical signals from the optical lens113L to be emitted outside the hermetic housing 113 b. However, it isnot limited thereto, in varied embodiments, the optical window 113 w canbe used to further optically improve the optical signals from theoptical lens 113L, so as to further improve the optical path of theoptical signals.

It is worth mentioning that the optical lens 113L can be directlydisposed inside the hermetic housing 113 b and positioned to the opticaltransmitter 113 a, thereby more accurately controlling the opticalalignment between the optical lens 113L and the optical transmitter 113a, so as to improve the accuracy of the optical path, and to reduce theenergy loss of the optical signals. In some embodiments, the material ofthe optical lens 113L can be different from the material of the opticalwindow 113 w. More specifically, the material of the optical lens 113Lcan be, for example, glass materials or a novel silicon-based material(such as silicon based micro-lens) of a low absorption rate for aspecific wavelength (for example, 1200 nm˜1600 nm).

Referring to FIG. 30A, in some embodiments, the optical receivingdevices 114 can include one or more optical receiving chips 114 c. Theoptical receiving chips 114 c may be elongated chips and connected tothe substrate 111. Each of the optical receiving chips 114 c can includea plurality of optical receivers (PD) 114 p arranging along a direction,for example, along a longitudinal direction of the optical receivingchip 114 c, and the number of a plurality of optical fibers 131connected to the chip 114 c is less than the number of the plurality ofoptical receivers 114 p of the optical receiving chip 114 c.

As shown in FIG. 30A, more specifically, for example, in an embodiment,two of the optical receiving chips 114 c can be arranged (such asdie-bonded) on the substrate 111. For example, each of the opticalreceiving chips 114 c can include four optical receivers 114 p. In thiscase, two of the optical fibers 131 can be connected to two of theoptical receivers 114 p on the optical receiving chips 114 c. With thisconfiguration, a connecting margin between the optical fiber 131 and theoptical receiver 114 p can be enhanced and the connecting accuracybetween the optical fiber 131 and the optical receiver 114 p can also beimproved, so as to promote the coupling accuracy between the opticalfiber 131 and the optical receivers 114 p. It should be noted that, butnot limited to this, in other embodiments, each of the optical receivingchip 114 c can also include more or less than four optical receivers 114p.

Referring to FIG. 30B, in some embodiments, the optical receivingdevices 114 can include at least one position base 114 s, and thesub-mount 114 s can be disposed on the substrate 111 for aligning theoptical receiving chip 114 c. The sub-mount 114 s can include one ormore alignment marks 114 m. The optical receiving chip 114 c can bedisposed on the position base 114 s and aligned by the alignment mark114 m, thereby improving the alignment accuracy between the opticalfibers 131 and the optical receiving chips 114 c, as well as increasingthe coupling accuracy between the optical fibers 131 and the opticalreceiving chips 114 c.

Referring to FIG. 31A and FIG. 31B, in some embodiments, the opticaltransceiver module 110 can further include at least one opticalreceiving holder 114 h for arranging the optical receiving devices 114on the substrate 111 and forming a gap G (for example, 10 micrometers˜5centimeters) between the optical receiving holder 114 h and thesubstrate 111, so as to allow more components (such as ICs and/orpassive components) to be arranged in the gap G, thereby increasing thearrangement space of the substrate 111. The optical receiving holder 114h can include at least one supporting unit 114 i, at least one mountingplane 114 j, at least one positioning recess 114 k, and at least onepositioning protrusion 114L. The supporting unit 114 i is formed at oneside of the optical receiving holder 114 h for supporting the opticalreceiving holder 114 h on the substrate 111 and forming the gap Gbetween the optical receiving holder 114 h and the substrate 111. Themounting plane 114 j is formed at the opposite side of the opticalreceiving holder 114 h for mounting the optical receiving devices 114.The positioning recess 114 k is formed on the optical receiving holder114 h for positioning the optical receiving devices 114 and the opticalfiber 131 on the optical receiving holder 114 h. In some embodiments,the mounting plane 114 j can be formed in the positioning recess 114 k.The positioning protrusion 114L can be formed on the supporting unit 114i for positioning the optical receiving holder 114 h on the substrate111.

As shown in FIG. 31A, the optical receiving devices 114 can be disposedon the mounting plane 114 j of the optical receiving holder 114 h andelectrically connected to the substrate 111 through the flexible circuitboard 117 c. By using the optical receiving holder 114 h, the gap spaceG can be formed between the optical receiving holder 114 h and thesubstrate 111, so as to increase more space for arranging morecomponents on the substrate 111. It is worth noted that in someembodiments, the optical receiving holder 114 h can include moremounting planes 114 j to arrange more components.

As shown in FIG. 31B, more specifically, the optical receiving holder114 h can include, for example, two supporting units 114 i to form aninverted U-shaped structure. However, it is not limited thereto, inother embodiments, the optical receiving holder 114 h can include one ormore support units 114 i to support the optical receiving devices 114 onthe substrate 111.

Referring to FIGS. 32A to 35, in some embodiments, the temperaturecontrol unit 119 can be disposed on the sub-mount base 113 e of theoptical transmitting devices 113, and the sub-mount base 113 e ispositioned in the hermetic space formed by the hermetic housing 113 band the base 113 g and extending from the base 113 g. The thermoelectriccooler 119 b of the temperature control unit 119 can be disposed on aside surface of the sub-mount base 113 e, and the optical transmitter113 a can be disposed on the thermoelectric cooler 119 b. With the useof this arrangement, the heat of the optical transmitter 113 a can beconsiderably transferred to the thermoelectric cooler 119 b, therebyreducing the total heat capacity of the optical transmitter 113 awithout adding additional heat sinks. Therefore, the thermoelectriccooler 119 b can use less driving current to achieve a wide temperaturecontrol interval, and to improve a reaction time for the thermalequilibrium, and the total power consumption can be reduced. It is worthmentioning that, in different embodiments, the optical transmitter 113 aon the thermoelectric cooler 119 b can also be applied and disposed in anon-hermetic housing.

As shown in FIGS. 32A to 35, more specifically, the optical transmitter113 a is disposed on the circuit board 113 h, and the circuit board 113h is in contact with a largest surface of the thermoelectric cooler 119b, thereby arranging the optical transmitter 113 a on the thermoelectriccooler 119 b. Therefore, the heat of the optical transmitter 113 a canbe considerably transferred to the thermoelectric cooler 119 b. In thiscase, the largest surface of the thermoelectric cooler 119 b issubstantially perpendicular to a largest surface of the base 113 g. Morespecifically, there is an angle between the largest surface of thethermoelectric cooler 119 b and the largest surface of the base 113 g,and the angle may be in a range of 80 degrees to 100 degrees. Inaddition, the thermistor 119 a can be disposed on the circuit board 113h, and be electrically connected to the thermoelectric cooler 119 b.With the use of the thermistor 119 a, the temperature of the opticaltransmitter 113 a can be detected.

It is worth mentioning that, in different embodiments, the sub-mountbase 113 e may be formed of a great thermally conductive material andextended from the base 113 g. Therefore, the sub-mount base 113 e can beused as a heat sink for the optical transmitter 113 a.

As shown in FIGS. 32A to 35, in different embodiments, the opticaltransmitting device 113 can further comprises at least one supportingblock 113 m,113 n, and the at least one supporting block 113 m,113 n canbe configured to reduce a length of ground wires of the circuit board113 h. More specifically, the supporting block 113 m, 113 n can bedisposed between the sub-mount bases 113 e and the base 113 g, ordisposed at one side or two sides of the circuit board 113 h (as shownin FIG. 35). In addition, the support block 113 m, 113 n can be made ofa conductive material and connected between the ground end of thecircuit board 113 h and the base 113 g. Therefore, with the supportblock 113 m, 113 n of the conductive material, the ground end of thecircuit board 113 h can be electrically connected to the ground end ofthe base 113 g, thereby reducing the length of ground wires inside theoptical transmitter 113 a for achieving high-speed signals.

In different embodiments, the at least one support block 113 m can beformed as one-piece together with the base 113 g (as shown in FIG. 33Aand FIG. 33B). However, it is not limited thereto, in some embodiments,the at least one support block 113 n can be independent from base 113 g(as shown in FIG. 34A and FIG. 34B).

As shown in FIG. 35, in some embodiments, the support blocks 113 m, 113n can disposed at both sides of the circuit board 113 h for supportingas well as reducing the length of ground wires of the circuit board 113h.

Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 32A to 34B, in different embodiments, theoptical receiver 114 p can be integrated into the optical transmittingdevices 113. Specifically, the base 113 g can include at least one baserecess 113 r to receive the circuit board 114 m, and the opticalreceiver 114 p can be fixed on the circuit board 114 m, therebyarranging the optical receiver 114 p on the base 113 g. It is worthmentioning that, the optical receiver 114 p and the optical transmitter113 a can be positioned at the same optical direction, and opticalreceiver 114 p can detect a larger value of the backlight monitoringcurrent, so as to facilitate the matching design for the TO and TRXcircuits.

More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 32A to 34B, in differentembodiments, the base recess 113 r of the base 113 g can have a tiltangle, such as 5 degrees-45 degrees, according to an incident angle ofthe optical receiver 114 p, so as to improve the light receivingefficiency of the optical receiver 114 p.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 36, in some embodiments, the sub-mountbases 113 e, 113 f can be formed on the base 113 g. The first sub-mountbase 113 e is configured to support the first circuit board 113 h andthe thermoelectric cooler 119 b, and the optical transmitter 113 a iselectrically connected to the first circuit board 113 h. The secondsub-mount base 113 f is configured to support the second circuit board113 i, and the second circuit board 113 i is electrically connected toexternal circuits (not shown).

Referring to FIGS. 37A to 39, in different embodiments, the plurality ofoptical transmitting devices 113 can comprise a plurality of firstoptical transmitting devices 313 a and a plurality of second opticaltransmitting devices 313 b, and the first optical transmitting devices313 a and the second optical transmitting devices 313 b may bemisaligned. Furthermore, light outputting directions of the firstoptical transmitting devices 313 a and the second optical transmittingdevices 313 b may be the same or different. Therefore, more opticaltransmitting devices can be arranged and received in the opticaltransceiver module for transmitting higher speed signals.

As shown in FIGS. 37A and 37B, the first optical transmitting devices313 a and the second optical transmitting devices 313 b may bemisaligned along a short axis DS of the substrate. Furthermore, a shownin FIGS. 37A and 37B, the first optical transmitting devices 313 a andthe second optical transmitting devices 313 b can be arranged to form asaw-toothed shape.

Referring to FIGS. 38 and 39, the first optical transmitting devices 313a and the second optical transmitting devices 313 b can be misalignedalong a first direction D1, and the first direction D1 is perpendicularto the substrate 111. As shown in FIG. 38, the first opticaltransmitting devices 313 a and the second optical transmitting devices313 b are aligned along the short axis DS of the substrate 111. As shownin FIG. 39, the first optical transmitting devices 313 a and the secondoptical transmitting devices 313 b are aligned along a long axis DL ofthe substrate 111.

Various aspects of the illustrative implementations are described hereinusing terms commonly employed by those skilled in the art to convey thesubstance of their work to others skilled in the art. It will beapparent to those skilled in the art, however, that embodiments of thepresent invention can be practiced with only some of the describedaspects. For purposes of explanation, specific numbers, materials andconfigurations are set forth in order to provide a thoroughunderstanding of the illustrative implementations. It will be apparentto one skilled in the art, however, that embodiments of the presentinvention can be practiced without the specific details. In otherinstances, well-known features are omitted or simplified in order not toobscure the illustrative implementations.

Flow diagrams illustrated herein provide examples of sequences ofvarious process actions which can be performed by processing logic thatcan include hardware, software, or a combination thereof. Furthermore,various operations are described as multiple discrete operations, inturn, in a manner that is most helpful in understanding the illustrativeembodiments; however, the order of description should not be construedas to imply that these operations are necessarily order dependent. Thus,the illustrated implementations should be understood only as examples,and the processes can be performed in a different order, and someactions can be performed in parallel, unless otherwise specified.

Moreover, methods within the scope of this disclosure can include moreor fewer steps than those described.

The phrases “in some embodiments” and “in varied embodiments” are usedrepeatedly. These phrases generally do not refer to the sameembodiments; however, they can. The terms “comprising”, “having”, and“including” are synonymous, unless the context dictates otherwise.

Although various example methods, apparatuses, and systems have beendescribed herein, the scope of coverage of the present disclosure is notlimited thereto. On the contrary, the present disclosure covers allmethods, apparatus, systems, and articles of manufacture fairly fallingwithin the scope of the appended claims, which are to be construed inaccordance with established doctrines of claim interpretation. Forexample, although the above discloses example systems including, amongother components, software or firmware executed on hardware, it shouldbe noted that such systems are merely illustrative and should not beconsidered as limiting. In particular, it is contemplated that any orall of the disclosed hardware, software, and/or firmware componentscould be embodied exclusively in hardware, exclusively in software,exclusively in firmware or in some combination of hardware, software,and/or firmware.

The present invention has been described with preferred embodimentsthereof, and it is understood that many changes and modifications to thedescribed embodiments can be carried out without departing from thescope and the spirit of the invention that is intended to be limitedonly by the appended claims.

1. An optical transceiver module, comprising: a housing; a substratedisposed in the housing; at least one optical receiving device disposedon the substrate; and a plurality of optical transmitting devicesconnected to the substrate, wherein the optical transmitting devices arearranged in an alternating manner.
 2. The optical transceiver moduleaccording to claim 1, further comprising at least one holder configuredto position and arrange the optical transmitting devices.
 3. The opticaltransceiver module according to claim 2, wherein holder comprises afirst holder and a second holder for holding the plurality of opticaltransmitting devices.
 4. The optical transceiver module according toclaim 3, wherein the first holder is disposed on an upper housing, andthe second holder is disposed on a lower housing.
 5. The opticaltransceiver module according to claim 2, wherein the holder comprises atleast one holding recess, and a shape of the holding recess iscorresponding to a shape of the optical transmitting devices.
 6. Theoptical transceiver module according to claim 1, wherein the pluralityof optical transmitting devices are arranged interlaced back and forthin the alternating manner.
 7. The optical transceiver module accordingto claim 1, further comprising at least one connecting board, whereinthe optical transmitting devices are connected to the substrate throughthe connecting board.
 8. The optical transceiver module according toclaim 7, wherein the at least one connecting board comprises a firstconnecting board and a second connecting board, and the first connectingboard and the second connecting board have different lengths.
 9. Theoptical transceiver module according to claim 1, wherein the substratecomprises at least one convex portion and at least one recess portion,and the at least one recess portion is positioned to at least one sideof the convex portion, and the optical transmitting devices are arrangedin the recess portion of the substrate.
 10. The optical transceivermodule according to claim 1, wherein there is an angle between lightoutputting directions of the plurality of optical transmitting devices,and the angle may be in a range of 90 degrees to 180 degrees.
 11. Theoptical transceiver module according to claim 1, wherein the pluralityof optical transmitting devices comprise a plurality of first opticaltransmitting devices and a plurality of second optical transmittingdevices, and the first optical transmitting devices and the secondoptical transmitting devices are misaligned.
 12. The optical transceivermodule according to claim 11, wherein light outputting directions of thefirst optical transmitting devices and the second optical transmittingdevices are the same.
 13. The optical transceiver module according toclaim 11, wherein the first optical transmitting devices and the secondoptical transmitting devices are misaligned along a short axis of thesubstrate.
 14. The optical transceiver module according to claim 11,wherein the first optical transmitting devices and the second opticaltransmitting devices are arranged to form a saw-toothed shape.
 15. Theoptical transceiver module according to claim 11, wherein the firstoptical transmitting devices and the second optical transmitting devicesare misaligned along a first direction, and the first direction isperpendicular to the substrate.
 16. The optical transceiver moduleaccording to claim 14, wherein the first optical transmitting devicesand the second optical transmitting devices are aligned along a shortaxis of the substrate.
 17. The optical transceiver module according toclaim 14, wherein the first optical transmitting devices and the secondoptical transmitting devices are aligned along a long axis of thesubstrate.
 18. The optical transceiver module according to claim 1,wherein the optical transmitting devices are positioned on an upper sideand a lower side of the substrate, respectively, and arranged in thealternating manner.
 19. The optical transceiver module according toclaim 1, wherein the optical transmitting devices and the at least oneoptical receiving device are disposed at different sides of thesubstrate.
 20. An optical cable module, comprising: an optical fibercable; an optical transceiver module, comprising: a housing; a substratedisposed in the housing; at least one optical receiving device disposedon the substrate; and a plurality of optical transmitting devicesconnected to the substrate, wherein the optical transmitting devices arearranged in an alternating manner.